NES Golf hidden within every single Switch – it’s a tribute to Satoru Iwata

Hackers over at Switchbrew discovered something pretty special indeed.

An emulation of 1984’s NES Golf, along with added motion control support, is surprisingly hidden on every single Nintendo Switch.

NES Golf Switch: Directly To You

Hackers over at Switchbrew discovered something pretty special indeed. If the date on a Switch is set to July 11th, the day in which the late Satoru Iwata sadly passed away, and both Joy-Cons are then used in the “Directly” gesture that Iwata was famous for, NES Golf magically loads up onto the system.

Upon activation, you can hear a sample of Iwata’s voice:

Unfortunately, this only works if your Switch has never been connected to the internet before…

Satoru Iwata’s Legacy

NES Golf was programmed by Iwata during his time with HAL Laboratory before he became president at Nintendo in 2000. Iwata was responsible for some of Nintendo’s greatest successes in the Wii and DS – both systems took the world by storm. Iwata also played a key role in the development of the Switch.

Gamers all over the world and the industry at large were shocked by Iwata’s sudden passing. Many, including this writer, became so accustomed to Iwata presenting Nintendo’s Direct series, that he became almost like a virtual friend to them.

It’s been speculated that this Switch tribute is, in fact, a form of “omamori” in Japanese culture – a charm that is traditionally available at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. It is said the omamori will protect you, or give you luck.